Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition

Not sure if they necessarily hate each other, but Samsung clearly has disdain for Google. Otherwise they wouldn't be replicating every google service with their proprietary versions. A company that is happy with their relationship does not do that.

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I wouldn't say hate or strained. It is simply business. Increase your presence to aid your brand. Further more, it's a legal move (as in it doesn't break the OHA rules).

Hate is a strong word. The relationship between the two is what you can call, strained. This is nothing new.

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OK wouldn't even say that. I would just say Samsung is trying to maxomize their profits by using their own features and separate themselves more from other manufacturers on something other than hardware

If there were to be a "Google Edition" of the GS4, then I imagine it would be like the I/O version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, i.e. it will be a limited edition and not available to the general public.

That's just my guess anyway. Otherwise, it would be awesome if they made something like this available across all carriers...oh, let a person dream. As much as I like the stock experience, it's not enough to pull my away from my discounted unlimited data plan on Verizon. Otherwise, I'd be on a Nexus phone right now.

As long as they release 4.3 aosp we should be able to get the same experience on our rooted phones.

Although in sure Verizon will be ****ed again :/

Why would Verizon be ****ed? Do you mean in terms of locked boot-loader or do you mean the chances of Verizon getting another stock Android device being slim? If the former, then well we'll find out next week when the exploit/method for unlocking the Snapdragon based devices (which are all the US carrier models) is released. If the latter, then...yeah, can't do much about that.

I mean if aosp is released it likely wont come to the vzw version of the s4

Ah, well like I said there's a method to unlock the bootloader on AT&T's version from Dan Rosenberg. However, it's being withheld until Verizon's release so it can be tested on their model first since the same exploit is expected to work. It also doesn't give Samsung and Verizon a chance to patch the exploit before release day.

They both could learn a lot from one another (Google & Samsung). Releasing stock Android on the Galaxy S4, in any form, puts the stock experience in the hands of more people. That's a plus for Google. Releasing a Galaxy S4 without Touchwiz also silences most of the criticism about the S4 in general, which is a plus for Samsung. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but there's more than enough reason to make it happen.

My only thing here is if they're going to sell it, sell it straight from Samsung. I'd say straight from the Play Store, but we've all seen how well that's gone before.

I was hoping the announcement would be a set of APIs that could then allow the developers to make the skins to sit on top of, rather than inside of, Android, and then allowing users the option to make it stock with the push of a button.

So a Nexus-like experience, but it ships with 4.2.2, and they're releasing 4.3 today?! So hyprictical or no 4.3? Seemed 4.3 was guaranteed. This would make a lot more sense if it was available on Verizon and/or Sprint. Tmobile/Att....not so much. On Tmobile/Att...unless you're in the "needs removable storage/battery" camp, the N4 is still a much better buy. Although, I do agree with whomever said this **might**get the stock Android experience in more users hands. Doubtful at $650.

When I spoke to them about canceling they said $350 per account, how'd you manage $190?

I believe they are now required to prorate the termination fee for however many months are left on your contract. My fee to end my T-mobile contract 2 months early would have only been $50 (but since I'm still waiting for the Verizon S4, I didn't have to do it).